Murrieta-native a college hockey standout in Minnesota

Murrieta native Brad Robbins is a standout forward for the Bemidji State (Minn.) college hockey team. Robbins played in high school at a Minnesota boarding school after attending Thompson Middle School. Photo courtesy of Bemidji State University Photo Services

Murrieta native Brad Robbins is a standout forward for the Bemidji State (Minn.) college hockey team. Robbins played in high school at a Minnesota boarding school after attending Thompson Middle School. Photo courtesy of Bemidji State University Photo Services

Brad Robbins remains a Murrieta boy at heart even though he hasn’t lived full-time in his hometown in seven years.

An ice hockey player, the 21-year-old has lived in the northern latitudes since his departure. Robbins is currently in his first season as a freshman with Bemidji State (Minn.), a Division I program.

Robbins plays forward for a Bemidji State team that has labored through a 6-18-8 season, including a 5-14-7 conference mark in the highly competitive Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA).

Despite the lackluster season, the Beavers are a reputable hockey program that reached the NCAA Tournament’s Frozen Four as recently as 2009.

Bemidji is located in the northern part of Minnesota, where hockey is not only the primary sport in the region, it’s a religion.

“We have a very strong fan base,” Robbins said. “All the fans are very passionate and want us to do well. We get a lot of fans at our games. They are very supportive. It’s great to play in front of them up here.”

Robbins was a fervent hockey player as a youth when he attended Thompson Middle School in Murrieta.

But the trips to the nearest ice rink in Orange County would often take an hour each way.

Robbins was fortunate to have two parents, Tom and Jackie, who happily made the long trek to fulfill their son’s dreams.

“They would have to drive me to play probably four or five days a week,” Robbins said. “It’s quite a commitment that the parents have to make there.”

Once reaching high school, Robbins and his parents decided the best route for him was to enroll in a boarding school in the hockey hotbed of Minnesota.

Robbins moved to Faribault to attend Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, an institution renowned for its hockey teams.

“It was a really fun experience,” Robbins said. “I had hockey and school in the same place. It was a really close community. It was fun. It was definitely hard at first to live away from home. You get used to it over the years.”

Following his prep career at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, Robbins went on to play junior hockey, a high level of amateur competition. Junior hockey players aren’t even paid a stipend and they live with host families.

Robbins first played with the Penticton Vees of the British Columbia Hockey League before joining the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League, the premier junior circuit south of Canada.

In 2011-12, Robbins led the Muskeeters in points (52), goals (25) and assists (27), which helped catch the attention of Bemidji State.

Robbins, an elusive goal scorer at 5-foot-7, 169 pounds, said the junior hockey experience prepared him for the collegiate level.

“You are playing against guys that are 24 years old,” Robbins said. “They are really physically strong and are able to play at a faster pace.”

While the Beavers’ season hasn’t gone according to plan, Robbins and his teammates can still change their fortunes with the WCHA playoffs (March 15-17) on the horizon. They also have two upcoming games against Minnesota, the No. 2 ranked team in the country.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

• Oregon State forward/center Joe Burton (West Valley), the team’s lone senior, was honored in a pregame ceremony before his team’s final home contest against California on Feb. 23. Burton, born on the Soboba Indian Reservation, was the first Native American to receive a scholarship in the conference since it expanded to 10 teams in 1978. The Beavers wore turquoise uniforms in honor of Burton. The color turquoise is considered a color of friendship in Native American culture. With six more points scored, Burton will become the first player in Oregon State history with 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists.

WRESTLING

• Nebraska-Kearney’s Patrick Martinez (Temecula Valley) is ranked No. 2 in the 174-pound weight class heading into the Division II National Championships, which are held in Birmingham, Ala., from March 8-9. Martinez’s Lopers are No. 3 in the national coaches’ poll.

BASEBALL

• Arizona first baseman Brandon Dixon (Murrieta Valley) leads the Pac 12 in batting average (.465), on-base percentage (.561) and runs scored (19). Dixon is also tied for the conference lead in hits (20) and stolen bases (9). He has reached base safety in all 13 games this season.

SOFTBALL

• Michigan freshman shortstop Sierra Romero (Vista Murrieta) was named co-freshman of the week by the Big Ten Conference on Monday. It was the second time this season Romero has earned the freshman of the week honor. Romero leads the Big Ten in runs scored (20) and is tied for second in home runs (5) and total bases (46).